Beach Boy Mike Love’s Former Bandmate Al Jardine Weighs in on Ailing Star’s Recent Concert Appearance: ‘I’m Speechless’

A frail Love recently performed in Nashville while seated amid ongoing, undisclosed health issues

Mike Love; Al Jardine. Credit :Scott Dudelson/Getty (2)

Former Beach Boys rocker Al Jardine is opening up about ex-bandmate Mike Love’s commitment to the stage, even in the face of serious illness.

Both Jardine and Love, the last surviving founding members of the group, played shows on Sunday, Oct. 11; Jardine performed with former Beach Boys Bruce Johnston and David Marks in California, while Love appeared at a concert in Nashville.

But the singer’s condition concerned many fans. Love, 85, remained seated during the performance, occasionally singing background vocals, and spoke slowly to the crowd, saying he’s been “going through some health issues for quite a while,” but didn’t want to miss the Ryman Auditorium show.

In a chat with Rolling Stone, Jardine — who is not in regular contact with Love — said he’d seen the footage of Love at the Ryman, and was concerned.

Mike Love in Hollywood, Calif. in May 2024.Jesse Grant/Getty

“It’s shocking and I was really depressed,” he said. “I had to really shake myself out of it just to get on stage. Just the optics of it were just awful and I’m speechless.”

Jardine, 84, said he “would hope” that Love will not do too many more shows in that condition.

“That’s just not right, that I can see. Obviously, he’s a total pro. He wants to be on stage, but he just doesn’t know how not to do it,” he said. “He doesn’t know what else to do, so I think he’s trapped.”

Love has not publicly shared any diagnosis, but longtime friend and collaborator John Stamos wrote ahead of the Ryman show that the star was “facing serious health challenges” amid fan concern after footage of Love performing while seated went viral on social media.

“My beloved friend, father figure, musical hero and mentor, Mike Love, is facing serious health challenges. We hope he’ll be doing what he loves for years to come, but we don’t know what the future holds. We have tonight,” Stamos wrote. “Mike is a fighter. Despite doctors, family and friends urging him to focus on his health, he insists on being on stage. He says he needs his band, the audience, his friends and drummer surrounding him to lift him up.”

Al Jardine in Hollywood, Calif. in May 2024.Jesse Grant/Getty

The Full House star, who has performed with the Beach Boys since 1985, added that while “the Mike Love we see tonight may not be exactly the Mike we’ve always known,” he would still be “every bit the Mike we love.”

Love wrote on Instagram in June that he’d been struggling after the death of his sister Maureen, and was also dealing with bronchitis and COVID.

“I feel stronger every day physically, but I am heartbroken emotionally. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else than with our audience,” he wrote. “For me, our audience is the medicine, and the music is the cure. Thank you all for your outpouring of love, well wishes, and healing prayers. I am deeply humbled and grateful.”